If you like your Western Hockey League games pockmarked with blue chippers, then the Portland Winterhawks are for you, as they make their way on to Blanshard Street tonight and Saturday to face the Victoria Royals.
It’s an inter-city hockey rivalry that harks back to the old Memorial Arena when busloads of Winterhawks fans used to come up for games against the Victoria Cougars, and before that, in the old professional WHL in games featuring the Victoria Maple Leafs and Portland Buckaroos.
Few WHL franchises can rival the number of top-end players produced by the Winterhawks. Just their current alumni crop in the NHL includes the likes of Sven Baertschi, Ryan Johansen, Seth Jones, Joe Morrow, Braydon Coburn, Brandon Dubinsky and Nino Niederreiter.
The Portland roster features a starry list of four first-round NHL draft picks. Forward Cody Glass was taken sixth overall by the Las Vegas Golden Knights, defenceman Dennis Cholowski 20th overall by the Detroit Red Wings, forward Kieffer Bellows 19th overall by the New York Islanders and blue-liner Henri Jokiharju 29th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks.
“Portland is skilled and fast, with so many first rounders, and they play a high-paced game,” said Royals forward Tyler Soy.
Yet, there hasn’t been much to choose between the Winterhawks and Royals this season. Portland (35-20-4) is second in the American Division and Victoria (35-21-5) is second in the B.C. Division. The season series is tied 1-1.
“Portland is skilled, with offensive pace and a great transition game, and a great power play,” said Royals defenceman Jared Friedrich.
“We have to stay out of the penalty box because of their power play. That’s even more so because I believe five-on-five is in our favour.”
Both teams have been uneven of late with Victoria beginning its five-game homestand by going
1-1-1 against Edmonton, Red Deer and Vancouver. The Winterhawks have dropped their last two games, including a 3-1 loss Wednesday night against a Kamloops Blazers team unlikely to make the playoffs.
“We had a week of rest and we used it well,” said Victoria defenceman Scott Walford.
It was preceded by a stretch in which the Royals played seven games in 11 days.
“It was one of the quirks in the schedule, so it was great to get the guys some rest and recovery over the past week,” Royals head coach Dan Price said.
It also gave the Royals ample time to game plan for the Winterhawks.
“Discipline is going to be the key,” said Walford. “We have to stay five-on-five with Portland because its power play can really strike.”
Although they haven’t clinched their spots, both Victoria and Portland are virtually assured of making the playoffs. Walford said with 11 games remaining in the regular season for the Royals, a subtle change in mindset is taking place.
“We’re shifting to playoff style now and taking a playoff approach and mentality to the last 11 games,” said Walford, a third-round draft pick of the Montreal Canadiens.
